Twisted: The Story of Pearl Cresta
by leafskeletonss
Summary: There was no rebellion, and Katniss Everdeen was crowned the victor of the 75th Hunger Games. In District Four, Pearl Cresta is left to keep her sister together after loosing Finnick to the games despite her own grief for his loss. But Pearl is unlike her sister - she's cunning, twisted, and determined to win the Hunger Games as a ruthless Career. Welcome to the 76th Hunger Games.
1. Chapter 1

"Take the braid out."

My older sister sat at a quaint vanity in her room with her back turned to me. I stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame as I waited for Annie to finish fixing up her own hair. She was looking at me through the reflection of the vanity mirror, her sea green eyes transfixed on my hair. It fell in a neat braid down my back - small pins with shells glued to them pinning back the shorter parts in the front.

"What?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm and face blank in case she exploded into one of her moods.

"You look too much like her. Take the braid out." She said, her fingers twitching in her lap. When I didn't reply, she picked up a brush and ran it through her brown hair excruciatingly slow.

I knew what she meant. The braid down my back looked too much like Katniss Everdeen's signature hairstyle, which she adorned in both the 74th and 75th Hunger Games. After both her wins, girls everywhere - from the districts to the Capitol - had begun braiding their hair just like hers. Myself included. And maybe it was overkill to braid my hair for the Victory Tour today, the day that I would finally see Katniss in the flesh. Maybe Annie was right.

But I knew that the last thing Annie was worried about was embarrassing myself in front of our latest victor. Katniss Everdeen didn't matter a single bit to Annie Cresta. In fact, Annie probably hated Katniss. Hated her for being alive. Because it meant Finnick wasn't.

I reached up to my hair and slowly ran my fingers through the braid. I repined it so that half of it was up and the other half was down. Like Annie, my hair was the colour of chocolate and fell around my freckled face in soft waves. From behind we looked exactly the same. Despite Annie being 2 years older than me we were the same height. Both of us had the same slight build with large hips. And both of us dressed in the same thin dresses that kept us cool in the warmth of four.

I remember last Tide Day, when Finnick approached me from behind, his hands resting lightly on my hips. With the touch of his lips to my ear, he rested his chin on my shoulder as we stood on the beach with the rest of District 4. On Tide Day, we would watch the tides change on Pinnacle Beach from 12am till 12pm. It was an excuse for celebration. The District elders would weave baskets from the palm leaves that had fallen on the beach and give them to all the newly married couples. Kids would play in the waves as the broke on the beach, as their parents snacked the dried out seaweed that they prepared the week before.

I remember the warmth of his body behind mine. Even though it wasn't meant for me. Annie had stayed at home, confining herself to her bed rather than celebrating Tide Day. Instead of turning around to Finnick and revealing that it wasn't Annie, but Pearl, I stood in the warmth of his arms as we watched a small girl with red hair chase a small school of fish through the water. When I finally did turn around in his arms I instantly regretted it. His green eyes had closed off and gone blank, and he smiled quickly despite himself. He saw blue eyes instead of green, tanned freckled skin instead of pale. I laughed and told him how stupid he was even though the disappointment in the set of his mouth made me want to scream. He apologised and asked where Annie was. I lied and told him she was down the other side of the beach. And off he went, searching for her. Searching for the mad sister, rather than taking the perfectly sane one.

Annie lifted herself up away from her vanity and moved over to her window. From the houses in Victor's Village you could see the main parts of the district. The village was perched on a cliff face, overlooking Pinnacle Beach. A steep path led down to the city square which was slowly accumulating with people for Katniss's victory speech. Annie's eyes darted from person to person, as if she was looking for somebody particular. Her hands were clasped together in front of her, knotting with each other. I reminded myself to go down to the docks later today and find some new rope for her to play with. All the rope we had was frayed and falling apart after months of Annie twisting and tying it every which way.

"Are you ready?" I mumbled to her.

She looked at me slowly, her eyes bloodshot even though she hadn't cried today. They always seemed to be red ever since she got back from her Hunger Games six years ago. Red from the strain of madness.

"Okay" was all she said in reply as she picked up a frayed piece of rope and headed downstairs with me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's Chapter 2! Please stick with me. These few chapters are trying to deal the the present and what's happening with the tour. The next few chapters will flash back a bit, so it'll explain the events of the Quarter Quell, and Pearl and Finnick's relationship. So stay tuned~**

When we reached the square, there was no hiding. Everywhere I looked eyes found us. Staring at us as if it was socially acceptable. I didn't blame them.

Despite Finnick's Capitol reputation, most people in District 4 had seen him with Annie enough that they knew he truly loved her. A lot of people disapproved of their relationship, telling me that Annie didn't deserve Finnick running around with Capitol women when he was away. Rumors spread that Finnick was using Annie just for sex, as she was mad and helpless and could be easily taken advantage of. But one look of them together would tell you otherwise. And slowly the rumors died down.

Finnick was gone now. And Annie was still left behind as his. So the square stared at us as we approached our allocated platform, waiting for the frail woman to break down from grief.

I was merely Annie's younger sister. Her primary care taker despite my age. Nobody really cared whether or not I was grieving. Nobody expected much of a relationship between Finnick and I other than 'Victor Village companions'.

As we stepped up onto the platform, I took a glance behind me. On a huge screen was a portrait video of Finnick taken before the Quarter Quell. He stood with his arms folded across his chest and a coy smile. Every now and then he would look down and then back up, his eyes smoldering each time he did so. The video looped so that it happened again and again, not stopping until the victory speech was over.

Across from me was another platform. Both our platform and Mags' platform were halfway into the square, with people in front, behind, and on either side of us. Despite the hoards of people either side of her platform, nobody stood on it. Mags had nobody left. I had to stifle a laugh as I watched her video above the platform. She looked bored out of her mind, her wrinkled eyelids barely staying open as she stared down the barrel of the camera. It was so typical of Mags.

After a few more minutes the square was filled. My arm remained linked in Annie's as we stood on the platform. There were only two of us up here. Finnick's parents had died years ago and he was an only child. I had expected that maybe some of the trainers from his first Hunger Games would be nearby. But I didn't see anybody that I recognised. I also expected that some of the sailors from his ship would be here. But it was only Annie and I up on the platform.

I watched as the stage in front of the Justice Building was slowly filled. Our mayor was seated next to our escort, Marion Jingly, and next to her stood District 12 escort Effie Trinket. Their wigs were both the colour of molten gold, no doubt a new Capitol fashion inspired by Katniss's token - her mockingjay pin.

Usually, the remaining victors from District 4 would also gather on the stage. There were 4 men up onstage that shared Victor's Village with us, but no women. The only female victor from District 4 left was my sister. What President Snow didn't think of was the lack of mentors that would be left after the victor's Quarter Quell. A lot of districts had lost their only mentors. All we had left was Annie, who was previously excused from mentoring due to her mental instability. Now she would mentor the poor kids who were to be reaped for the 76th Hunger Games. They didn't stand a chance with such a idiot looking out for them.

Marion Jingly approached a standing microphone on the stage and the crowd reacted by falling silent.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls. I would like to formally give my thanks to you, District 4, for being here today as we celebrate District 12's victor from the 75th Hunger Games and 3rd Quarter Quell. I'm sure many of you are beyond excited to see her in all her glory. I feel honored to present to you, the only tribute to win 2 Hunger Games _ever_ - in the history of Panem. District 4, I give you, Katniss Everdeen!"

The double doors of the Justice Building opened dramatically, and out stepped Katniss. The audience applauded and a few young girls screamed as she slowly made her way to the front of the stage.

She was draped in the most beautiful dress. It was long sleeved, floor length and fitted to her body. The skirt part of her dress hugged her all the way down her legs fanning out at the bottom of her feet, mimicking a mermaid's tail. The entire dress was adorned in silver scales made of a reflective fabric. Her hair was up, braided into tiny strands that weaved together like a grass basket the elders made on Tide Day. But the majesty of her outfit couldn't distract from her face.

A good deal of make up had been applied in order to hide it, but it was there. Pain. Greif. And above all: emptiness. Her grey eyes were as hard as ice; her pupils were only small black pinpricks in the bright light. Her lips were firmly pressed together to stop herself from screaming or crying. Her face contorted in a strange grimace as she tried to contain all the emotions going through her mind.

I could feel Annie next to me, shaking like a palm tree in the wind. Her hand was wrapped around my interlinked arm, and it was wet with sweat. _Danger_, her body was saying. Katniss was dangerous. Probably because she's the reason Finnick wasn't here.

I didn't know what I felt towards Katniss. She wasn't personally responsible for killing Finnick. She was allied with him up until the last day when she left with Peeta into the jungle. She had even saved his life in the deadly fog, held his hand as he held his head underwater to drain the poison from his skin. I remember so clearly watching the games that year, hoping that Finnick would come home and that when he did, he would come home to me rather than Annie. That I would be the first to touch his bronze hair; the first to embrace him.

Katniss clearing her throat brought me back to the present. She mumbled off a set of palm cards, thanking us for the hospitality and talking about all the amazing things she feels being the victor. She then sends her condolences to Finnick and Mags' families. As she does so, she glances up at Mag's empty platform, her brow furrowing in pain. Not once did she look over to Annie or I.

After 7 minutes, her speech was done. Katniss turned on her heel, and swiftly re-entered the Justice Building. The crowd mumbled in disbelief, as Katniss hadn't ended her speech with a personal note, despite her alliance with both of our tributes. Annie was quiet beside me, probably thankful that Katniss hadn't brought back memories of the games, and how Finnick had died.

Marion closed the ceremony off, telling us to enjoy Tide Day next week. She also added that any Careers present better train hard for next year's Hunger Games, as she's sure that there will be many volunteers from all districts this year. Probably after Katniss's victories, a lot of kids are thinking they're just as invincible as her.

The square began to empty out as everybody got back to doing their daily jobs, most people heading to the docks to re-board their fishing boats. Annie and I waited on our platform, not wanting to get caught up in the crowd. As we waited, I followed Annie's eyes up to the screen with Finnick's video. Her face was expressionless as she gazed upon him but her eyes didn't blink. Together, as people moved around us, we stared up at the screen at the man we both loved. Then, the screen suddenly went black and we were left staring at nothing. Because Finnick was gone. He was gone forever.

Annie shifted by my side. She untangled herself from my linked arm, bringing both hands up to her face. The frayed rope dropped from her fingers onto the platform. That's when she started sobbing.

I hadn't heard her cry once for Finnick. Maybe in her wacked out mind she thought he was still here all this time. Just on another trip to the Capitol. She never saw him die. She never even watched the games. She refused to. She stayed up in her room, ripping the television out of her wall, and asking for food from me once a day. The day that Finnick died she didn't even know. Two days later, Katniss was the last one left in the arena. That day I didn't send her up any food. I had confined myself to my own room, too stricken with grief to think about cooking. Being absolutely selfish like I always was. Not bothering to check on my deranged sister. Just consuming myself in misery as I tried to imagine a world without his sea green eyes. A world where I wouldn't be able to gaze upon his golden skin as he sat in our kitchen teaching me about setting net traps on land.

She had come out of her room, shaking and laughing to herself, thinking that maybe the lack of food at her door meant that the games were over and Finnick was coming home. I remember telling her that Katniss had won. That it was all over. I never told her that Finnick was dead. Maybe that's why she never cried. Maybe she was waiting for worded confirmation of his death.

So when the screen behind our platform turned off, it must have confirmed it for her. Finnick was gone.


End file.
